Improvement in nail-plate feeders



` UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE JAMES L. WIGGIN, OF SOUTH NENV MARKET, NEI/V HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN W. HOARD, OF BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND, AND GEO. B. VVIGGIN, OF SOUTH NEW MARKET, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN NAIL-PLATE FEEDERS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,755, dated June 19, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMEs L. WIGGIN, of South New Market, in the county of Rocking ham and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Feeding Nail-Plate; and I hereby declare the followin g to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beingI had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents an isometrical perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view, and Fig. 3 an elevation, of the same, the dotted lines in the two latter figures showing in pro iile the parts concealed.

My invention relates to mechanism for feeding nail-plate to an ordinary or suitable single-cutting nail-machine, in which the plate after each cut must be turned over before being cut again, and it has for its object the construction of a feeder which shall be automatic in its operation, both feeding the nailplate forward and rotating or turning the plate, stopping at every half-turn to allow the cutter to strike off the nail-blank. To accomplish this latter result-t'. e., turning the nailplate-it is necessary that there should be some means provided for simultaneously drawing back and lifting the feeding-bar which holds the nail'plate, so as to clear the cutter and raise the plate, in order that it may not,

in turning, stri ke against the under block which forms one of the cutting-edges of the nail-cutting` machine.

I am aware that many methods have been devised for effecting the above-mentioned results; but these methods are all more or less objectionable, in that the mechanism employed is complicated and at the sanne time cannot be relied on at all times to perform its functions properly and accurately.

In the present invention my intention has been to avoid these defects, simplifying asfar as possible the arrangement and combination of parts required to impart proper motion to the feeder, and at the same time making the apparatus accurate in its operation.

In order to effect this arrangement I have constructed a naitplate feeder which consists substantially of a feed rod or bar provided with the usual nippers or tongs for holding the nail-plate, land supported in a movable frame of suitableconstruction, which frame is swung in the stationary frame of the machine. The feed-bar and movable frame are actuated by means of a wheel working horizontally, which, on its periphery and upper face, is provided with calns of suitable size and dimensions, the upper face being, moreover, provided with pins or studs of any suitable number, as hereinafter explained, which are placed within the cams on the said face and at equal distances from each other bn the circumferenceof a circle concentric with the circmnference of the wheel. These pins, in connection with a cogwheel peculiarly constructed, as will be here` inafter explained, cause t-he feed-bar to revolve, stoppingan interval of time at every half-turn to allow the cutter' time to cut off the nailblank from the plate. The cams on the upper surface of the wheel, passing under a pin on the under side of the movable feed-frame, raise the frame and the feed-bar which it supports, so that the plate may be turned. The cams on the periphery, acting upon a lever which is connected with the feed-bar, cause the latter to be drawn back after each stroke of thc cutter, and the feed-bar, as soon as the lever ceases to act upon it, is again fed forward to the cutter of the nail-machine by the pressure of a volute spring secured in a drum and arranged as hereinafter described.

The machine iu which these various motions 'are imparted to the feed-bar is so arranged and constructed that the operation of lifting, drawing back, feeding forward, and stopping may be performed at the rate of two hundred and eighty times per minute, (more or lcss,) at the pleasure of the operator.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to a more detailed description of the parts of which it is composed and the method of its operation, referring at the same time to the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon.

The stationary frame A is supported on standards attached to a plate which may be part of the common bed-plate ofthe feeder and ofthe nail-cutting machine, and it is so constructed as to afford suitable bearings for the movable or vibratory frame B, the drum containing the volute spring I, and toothed wheelsD D and H.

rI he movable or vibratory frame B has its bearin gs in the stationary frame at a. Itis so suspended that when not lifted by means of the cams L, Fig. 3, acting on the stud or pin 0, fixed in the front end of the said frame, it will incline forward by its own weight, and will rest on the front piece of the stationary' frame. To the top of this vibrating or movable frame I secure the nipper or feed bar O in the manner about to be described.

The toothed wheels D and D have their bearings in thc front end of the movable frame. The upper wheel, D, has a hollow journal which revolves in the box b, and, extending through said box, forms also the journal of the funnel-shaped socket E. This journal, itself supported in the box b, thus forms a sleeve in and through which the feed-bar C is inserted, and is by this means held in position on top of the frame B. In order to cause the feedbar to revolve with the cog H, I make use of a socket, E, provided with a spline held in place by a spring, x, attached to the periphery of the socket, by which the spline is dropped into a longitudinal groove or slot in the nipper-bar C. hen the wheel D revolves the bar moves with it, being caught and held rmly by the spline. At the same time, on account of its longitudinal slot, the bar is capable of a forward or backward motion ind ependently of the wheel and socket, and is thus, even when revolving, fed forward to or withdrawn from the cutter. The feed-bar, under the arrangement j ust described, can be easily adjusted to or removed from the machine.

On account of the funnel shape of the socket E the bar can be readily insertedin and through the sleeve or hollow journal, and in order to remove it therefrom all that is needed is to withdraw the spline from the slot.

The mechanism by which the feed-bar, arranged and constructed as above shown, is operated can best be described by reference, first, to that which causes the nail-plate to be fed forward, and, secondly, to that part of the apparatus by which the rotation, lifting, drawing` back, and stopping of the feed-bar is effected.

The machinery for effecting the forward motion of the feed-bar is arranged as follows: Beneath that part of the feed-bar which extends beyond the rear of the frame is a sleeve, F, mounted on a rod, G, parallel to the feed bar, and secured to the vibratory or tilting frame. rIhe sleeve F is provided with two arms,ff, at right angles to the bar and to each other. In the upper end of one of the arms, f, is a recess or hole, into which the rear end of the feed-bar C (which, for this purpose, tapers to a point) is tted. To the end of the other arm, f', at right angles to j', is secured the wire or cord t', connecting the sleeve F with the spring-drum I, secured in suitable bearings in the frame A, as shown in the drawings, by means of which spring` the arm f presses strongly and continuously against the end of the feed-bar, and in the absence of the superior back-pressure whereby the bar is drawn back, as hereinafter explained, keeps the bar and nail-plate which it holds constantly fed forward against the gage on the nail-cutter machine.

When the bar is to be withdrawn from the machine the armj'should be iirst slipped to one side or the other of the bar, so as to remove from the bar the pressure of the cylindensprino.

The apparatus for rotating, lift-ing, Ste., the feed-baris arranged and constructed as follows: The wheel D gears with thelarger toothed wheel D', which latter wheel has its bearings also in the vibratory frame. The shaft on which it revolves extends through both the movable and stationary frame, and forms the axis also of the cog-wheel H, whose peculiar construction will be presently described. Below this cog-wheel is the wheel or disk L. provided with cams L2 on its periphery and L on its upper face. Upon the said upper face, and at equal distances from each other on the circumference of a circle interior to and concentric with the circumference of the cam-wheel, are the pins M M, equal in number in this case to the cogs on the wheel H, although this is not necessary or essential to the proper operation of the machine. rlhe cam-wheel L revolves horizontally, or in a plane parallel to the bed of the machine, and is supported in suitable bearings m m, and actuated by the miter or bevel gear O, which transmits motion from the prime mover. It is so placed in relation to the cogwheel H that when it revolves the pins M will become successively engaged with the cogs.

The cog-wheel H is of a concave shape, forming the segment of a sphere whose center should be near or at the intersection with each other of the axes of the cogwheel I-I and the cam wheel L. If this concavity were not given to the wheel, the pins M would slip off the cogs before passing over half the length of the cogs, whereas when constructed as shown in the drawings the cogs and the pins will be in contact throughout the whole length of the former. It is not absolutely necessary that the cog-wheel be of this concave shape, as it may have a plane surface, provided it be of sufficient thickness to engage the pins throughout the whole length of the cogs. By makin 0, however, the wheel of the segmental form above mentioned, less metal is consumed in its construction.

The cogs are of peculiar configuration or form, as seen by reference to the wheel H, Fig. l. Each cog is nearly as long as its corresponding pin M on the cam-wheel, so that when they are engaged the pin is nearly buried in the cog-wheel. Between each cog is a space or opening, as shown at x', which openings, on account ot' the gradual swell or increase in size of the cogs toward their outer ends, are contracted,`as seen at y y. As each pin M approaches its cog it strikes first against the swell y on the cog, at which moment the rotation of thefeed-bar commences. The pin moving on strikes' against that part of the cog nearest the center of the wheel, and continu ing its motion passes over the whole length of the cog, quitting it at the point y. 'lhis causes the rotation of the feed-bar to cease, and on account of the distance of the cogs from each other an interval of time elapses before the next pin and cog become engaged. during which time the nail-cutter strikes off the blank from the nail-plate. At the same moment when the pin begins to rotate the cogwheel the mechanism for drawing hack the bar from the cutter begins to operate.

As the cam-wheel Lrevolves the cams L2 on its periphery actuate the lever P, hinged by its upper end t0 the stationary frame at h, pressing against and forcingitont from the machine.

The lever, by means of the rod it, is connected with the upright bar T, hinged at t to the stationary frame A, which latter bar has fastened to its upper end a yoke, 7x', provided with pins or studs not. for actuating the dogs K by their tail-pieces, which are placed be tween said studs.

Secured in a dovetail guide or groove in the top of the vibratory frame B is the corresponding slide W, to which are pivoted the jaws or dogs K, which embrace the feed-bar U. On the under side ofthe slide is placed the spring s, one end of which is secured to the front of the dovetail slide and the other isisupported against. the movableframe,which springkeeliis up a continuous pressure on the slide, forcing it forward until held by the nuts or screws te, whose heads catch on the rear face of the movable frame.

The moment the feed-bar O begins to rotate the mechanism just described commences to work. The cam L2 actuates the lever P, forcing it ont from the machine. When thus moved the lever draws back the rod lt, which con nects the bar T with the lever. rlhe rod R, in its turn, draws back the bar T, which carries the yoke K. In moving back the inner studs, a', on the yoke strike against the inner curved faces of the dogs K, forcing the jaws or dogs toward each other, so as to hold firmly between them the feed-bar C, which has its surface roughened in order to afford a better hold for the dogs. rlhe yoke being moved still farther back by the action of the cam L2 on the lever P, the dogs K are also moved back, carrying with them theteed-bar C.

The sleeve F, which presses against the end ofthe feed-bar, as heretofore explained, is moved back on its rod G at the same time with the feed-bar, on account of the superior force exerted by the leverP, which overcomes the resistance of the spring I.

The cams L2 are so constructed that the feedbar is withdrawn the farthest at the moment when the bar with nail-plate attached has made a quarter-revolution, at which time the nail-plate is perpendicular to the position :it

occupies when ready to be operated ou by the cutter. As the'feed-bar approaches the cornpletion of its halfrevolution the cam decreases in size, thus lessening the pressure ou the lever and loosening the hold of the dogs on the bar by means ot' the outward studs n on the yoke k, which, as the yoke is impelled forward again by the spring s, act on the outer surfaces of the dogs, forcing them open, and in this manner allowing the cyliiuler-spring to again force the feedbar forward against the gage. The cam ceases to act on the lever when the feedbar has completed the half-revolution, and during the. time occupied in passing over the space between the cams L2, as seen in Fig. 3, the operation of cutting is performed, after which the lever is operated by the next cani in a similar manner to that above explained. Simultaneously with the two opera-tions of rotating and drawing hack the feed-bar the feedhar is also lifted in order to allow the nailplate to turn. lhis is effected by means of cams L on the surface ofthe cani-plate h, which come successively in contact with a stud or pin, c, Fig. 3, fixed in the front end of the movable frame. The cams L' are ofthe same length as the cams L2, and have the saine space between them, during which the pin cis not acted on. A ssoon as the cog-wheel H begins to rotate the cam L con'nnences to act on the stud c, and thus raises the vibratory frame, reaching thethighest point at the time when, as above explained, the. feed'bar has made a quarter-revelution.

The peculiar construction of the vibratory frame. facilitates the lifting` of the feed-bar. The front end of the frame extends downward. and outside. ofthe front of the stationary frame, which is slotted to guide it in its vibratory movement, a nd to the bottom ofthe vibratory frame is fixed the pin or stud c. The wheel I), as before said, has its bea-rings in this portion of the movable frame, and .the shaft on which it revolves, inserted through the corresponding side of the stationary frame, forms also the axis of the cog-wheel H. At the point where the shaft pierces the stationary frame a hole or slot is formed in the said frame of sufficient dimensions to allow the shaft to conform to the movements of the vibratory frame to which it is attached.

The side pieces of the frame B, when the frame is not lifted by the cams, restin recesses formed for that purpose in the front end of the stationary frame and prevent the movable frame from tilting too far forward.

t will be seen that by this peculiar arrangement of cams and pins on the camwheel L the operations of rotating, drawing back, and lifting the feed-bar are accomplished simultaneously, while in order to allow the nail-cutter to operate the feed-bar stops for an interval of time after every half-revolution, the other parts of the machine continuing, nevertheless, their motion.

ln order to accomplish these results it is not necessary to follow the precise arrangement otparts shown in the drawings. Instead of employing the number ot' cams, pins, and cogs by which I have illustrated my invention, any number may be used under such an arrangement and so placed as to' retain the same relative. position to each other as herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention and the manner in which the same is or -may be carried int'o et't'ect, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

" l. Combining, in a movable frame, with a nail-plate feed-bar the wheels and other means of transmission whereby the rotary and vibratory up-and-down and back-and-f'orth motionsare directly imparted to the feed-bar, the whole being constructed and arranged for operation substantially as herein shown and set forth.

2. The sleeve for holding the feed-bar in the movable fra-me, as described, in combination with gear-wheels, one ot' which is mounted on said sleeve under the arrangement herein shown and described, whereby an intermittent rotary movement is il'nparted to the feed-bar.

3. In combination with the sleeve for holding the feed-bar, as described, the spring spline, in combination with a slot or groove in said bar, substantially as set forth.

, 4. Pressing the feed-bar against the gageplate of' the cutting apparatus by spring-power mechanism, or the equivalent thereof, when applied through the intermediary of an arm mounted on a sleeve capable oi' a rotating and sliding movement on a rod parallel to the t'eedbar, substantially as herein shown and described, so that the feed-bar may be instantly disengaged at the pleasure ot' the operator.

5. Eftecting the movements of rotation, lifting up, and drawing back of the feed-bar, in the manner herein described, the various devices for this purpose used being actuated by a single disk provided with cams and pins, as herein shown and set forth.

6. In combination with the movable frame which carries the `eed-bar and the intermediate support, the disk provided with cams Vwhereby the movable frame is actuated to cause the feed-bar to be lifted between each stroke of the cnttin apparatus, as set forth.

7. Pivoting the dogs or jaws for grasping and drawing back the feed-bar. as described, to a slide secured in lthe top ot' the vibratory fra-me, and constructed and arranged as set forth.

S. In combination with the dogs or `jaws pivoted to a slide in the top ot' the movable frame, the vibrating yoke hinged or pivoted to the stationary frame and actuated by the lever, as described, to cause the alternate opening and closing and drawing back of' the dogs or jaws, as and for the purposes herein shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this Speoication before two subscrib ing witnesses.

Y JAMES L. VIGGIN.

Witnesses:

A. W ooi), G. B. WIGGIN. 

